Call today for a free quote!

Funnel Weaver Spider

Category

Actual Size: ⅓ to ⅔”  when fully grown.

Characteristics: Mottled brownish or greyish with longitudinal stripes.

Legs: 8

Habitat: As their name suggests, these spiders build distinctive funnel-shaped webs in protected areas such as flower beds or wood piles.

Habits:

  • Builds webs in the shape of a megaphone or trumpet bell.
  • Frequently confused for wolf spiders or brown recluses.
  • Also commonly called “grass spiders”.


Funnel Weaver Spiders in Atlanta, GA

Funnel spiders get their common name from their habit of building webs in the shape of a funnel or megaphone. Since they usually infest areas with thick vegetation or tall grass, they’re also frequently referred to as “grass spiders”. Unlike many other types of spiders, this species does not produce webs that are sticky; instead, because of the web’s strange shape, insects have a difficult time escaping. After an insect becomes ensnared, the funnel weaver will quickly crawl through the web to inject its prey with venom.

Funnel Weaver Habitat

Here in Atlanta, GA, funnel weaver spiders tend to stay in tall grass or in cluttered areas like rock piles. Their webs are most visible early in the morning on summer or fall days where there is plenty of dew. If a funnel spider sneaks indoors, it will likely build a nest in a corner of a dark and cluttered room. For that reason, they’re most frequently found in basements, attics, or crawl spaces.

Funnel Weaver Spider Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Though funnel weaver spiders have venom, their fangs are very small and have a difficult time penetrating human skin, making these spiders fairly harmless. That said, they’re often confused for more dangerous spiders such as wolf spiders or brown recluses. They can be scary to come across in your home or business, and they also leave behind dead skins as they grow, making them an unpleasant guest to have in your property. If you keep finding funnel weavers near your space, contact your local spider exterminators for help.